1. Before reading The Ghosts of Eden Park, how much did you know about George Remus, Mabel Walker Willebrandt, and the Prohibition Era? Which historical aspects of the book surprised you the most? Did you learn new things about this period in history? 2. You meet two very different female characters in the book: Imogene Remus and Mabel Walker Willebrandt. Compare and contrast these two characters. With whom did you most identify and why? What did you like or dislike about them? How did they each adhere to—and rebel against— circumscribed gender roles? 3. George and Imogene’s relationship deteriorates after he’s sent to prison. Taking into consideration everything you’ve learned about Imogene, do you believe their love was genuine? Why or why not? Were you surprised by their fates at the end? 4. What role does the Jazz Age setting play? Do you think these events could have occurred in any other era? 5. What were your initial impressions of George Remus? Did your opinions shift throughout the story? 6. The Ghosts of Eden Park uses excerpts of trial testimony to foreshadow and create suspense. Did you know which character would commit murder? Did your assumptions change at all as you read? 7. As you read about the court proceedings, what reactions did you have to the trial-by-jury process? What are the most significant factors in getting a fair trial, or an intelligent investigation? Have you served on a jury, or been a defendant before a jury? If so, how did your experience compare to the one described here? How would you have voted had you been on that jury? 8. Beneath George Remus’s sensational story lie fundamental and timeless questions: What value does a life have? Is murder ever defensible? In seeking facts and certainty, how do we grapple with the often selective nature of truth? 9. In a way, George Remus’s story could be seen as a cautionary tale about conspicuous consumption, excess, and greed. What does our seemingly boundless desire for more say about human nature? Do you believe we are always destined to wish for things we can’t have? 10. One of the themes in the book is the infinite human capacity to deceive—both others and ourselves. How did each main character—George and Imogene Remus, Willebrandt, and Franklin Dodge—practice deception? 11. Is there a particular scene in The Ghosts of Eden Park that will stay with you? What will you remember most about this book? Do you plan to read more fiction or nonfiction about the Jazz Age? .